Gokor Chivichyan Grappling Photo Shoot

If you don’t know Gokor Chivichyan, you’re not really into grappling. Disagree all you want, but you can’t dispute the fact that Gokor Chivichyan is the go-to guy for submissions, especially leg locks. He was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame in 1997 as Judo Instructor of the Year, but his curriculum vitae extends so far beyond that art that it’s not even funny. In addition to his ninth-degree black belt in judo, Gokor Chivichyan holds a sixth degree in sambo and a sixth degree in jujutsu. Long before he earned them, he entered his first competition—and went home victorious. That was in 1971, and Gokor Chivichyan hasn’t stopped winning since. The Armenian expatriate now oversees 27 affiliate schools in the United States and 43 in Europe, and organizes 10 Hayastan Grappling Challenge tournaments a year in the United States and seven in Europe. In this archival video, Gokor Chivichyan shoots a 2007 grappling story for Black Belt, the world’s leading magazine of self-defense and martial arts.